A not quite sixteen-year-old Alfred Pickup is declared healthy, and after a simple written exam, joins the Royal Navy as a Junior Electrical Mechanic 2nd class in 1961. Pickup would serve on numerous ships from the HMS Wakeful, a decaying WW II era Destroyer to the HMS Cardiff, a brand new destroyer in 1979. Before joining any ship, a sixteen-year-old must learn many new skills. From minor obstacles of embroidering his name on his uniforms to learning to use a rifle, Pickup is readied for duty in strict Navy tradition. He puts together a string of first round knockouts as a member of the...